Impact of Bullying on Young Lives
Bullying can affect a child’s development – having lasting impact into adulthood and society as a whole. Together, we can change that.
How bullying happens
Any child can be bullied. It usually happens over a period of time, rather than a single event. However, every single incident instills fear and anxiety for the future.
It occurs mostly today in or around peer group settings, either at school or via the internet or social media. It can be when children either don’t fit into a set group or are pushed out, or have a falling out with another child. There are many ways in which bullying manifests itself and goes unnoticed from physical disguised as ‘hard play’ to denigration and name calling passed off as ‘extreme teasing’.
It happens too as a result of competition with others, in situations where children are forced to mix with others they don’t get along with, or just because they are different in some way to the rest of the clique. They can have learning difficulties, be disabled, or just even super bright or attractive.
The consequences
Bullying can harm children in many ways. Some children are able to recover with help, but others may become very anxious or nervous and lose confidence and focus. This can cause problems in school and make them more likely to be bullied.
The pain of being bullied can also cause mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. These problems can continue into adulthood and may cause issues with confidence or unfinished goals due to a disrupted education. Much research has been carried out on the impact of bullying behaviour.
It is important to address bullying and offer support to those affected by it.
The difference between banter and bullying
Teasing and intimidation are not the same. And it is not possible to protect children from all the rough and tumbles of modern life and community living, nor is it always advisable to do so. They have to learn to integrate in the world around them and find their special niche.
However, bullying is a very serious matter. It has become more intense, more prevalent and more insidious since the advent of the internet and social media age. This is why we must work together to reduce and confront it whenever we come across it.
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Get involved
We’ve made quite a splash with our campaigns. But with your help, we can continue to change social attitudes on bullying and abuse wherever it occurs.
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Promoting peaceful solutions to abuse. Campaigning to influence policy, advising victims, teachers and parents. Building pro-social media support.